Privacy policy

1. Who we are

Polytechnic Football Club is the controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy.

Privacy enquiries may be sent to admin@polytechnicfc.com.

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you use the club website, we may collect:

• your name, date of birth, telephone number, email address and team or player category;
• player registration status and acknowledgement of the Code of Conduct and club policies;
• a private player registration photograph required for the FA Club Portal;
• for an under-18 player, their parent or guardian’s name, email address, telephone number and confirmation of authority;
• annual-subscription information, including amounts due and paid, instalment arrangements, payment notifications and Gift Aid status;
• fixture, result, appearance, disciplinary and performance records;
• photographs, videos or match reports supplied separately for club media;
• website-administration account details, assigned teams, roles and permissions;
• newsletter subscription and unsubscribe records; and
• basic technical and security information used to prevent spam, fraud and misuse, such as submission timing and a protected record derived from an internet address.

Match information may be provided by a team manager or administrator rather than by the player. Administration access information may be supplied by the account holder and confirmed by a Website administrator.

3. How and why we use information

We use personal information to register and administer players, complete FA and league registration, organise teams and matches, maintain sporting records, communicate club information, manage annual subscriptions, meet safeguarding responsibilities, protect the website and provide approved administration access.

We rely on steps necessary to administer club membership, relevant legal obligations and the club’s legitimate interests in operating, protecting and documenting its sporting activities. Where consent is relied upon for a separate optional purpose, it may be withdrawn at any time.

The information marked as required on the player registration form is needed to create and maintain the player’s club record and support FA registration. If it is not provided, the club may be unable to complete the registration.

Club newsletters

Adult email addresses supplied through player registration may be added to the club mailing list unless the person opts out. Under-18 players are not added automatically. Every newsletter must provide a simple unsubscribe option. An unsubscribe record may be retained so that the address is not added again accidentally.

Automated decisions and analytics

The website does not use personal information to make solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects. Google Analytics is not currently used.

4. Who can access or receive information

Player information is available only to approved club administrators whose role requires it. Team administrators can access records for their assigned team. Club and Website administrators can access wider registration information. Relevant Team and Club administrators can see a player’s general subscription status, while amounts, payment arrangements, Gift Aid status and finance notes are restricted to approved Finance and Website administrators.

The private registration photograph may be accessed by an authorised club officer and passed to The Football Association for the player’s FA Club Portal registration account. It is not used as a public website profile photograph.

We use Google Firebase for website hosting, login accounts, database services, file storage, security checks and automated functions. The main Firestore database is hosted in Google’s European eur3 multi-region. We use Brevo to deliver outgoing emails and Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise/Firebase App Check to protect forms from automated misuse.

The Gift Aid link opens a separate Google Form operated for the club. Information entered into that form is submitted through Google Forms rather than this website and is available to the club officers responsible for Gift Aid and finance.

These service providers process information on the club’s behalf under their applicable contractual and security safeguards. Where a provider processes information outside the UK, the club must ensure that an appropriate international-transfer safeguard applies. We may also disclose information where required by law or necessary to protect someone’s vital interests.

We do not sell personal information.

5. How long we keep information

Active player and administrator information is retained while it is needed to operate the club and manage the person’s relationship with Polytechnic FC. Private FA registration photographs should be reviewed when a player leaves the club and deleted when they are no longer needed for registration or another justified club requirement.

Subscription and Gift Aid records are kept for as long as required for accounting, tax, legal and charity-administration purposes. Gift Aid declarations and supporting records may need to be retained for at least six years after the end of the accounting period to which they relate.

A minimal historical sporting record—such as a player’s name, team, appearances, results and published match statistics—may be retained indefinitely for legitimate club-history, archive and statistical purposes.

Contact details, dates of birth, guardian information, security records and other administrative information are reviewed periodically and deleted or anonymised when no longer required. Information may be removed earlier following a valid request unless the club has a lawful reason to retain it.

6. Children and young players

When a player is under 18, the registration form also collects their parent or guardian’s name, email address and phone number. The parent or guardian must confirm that they have the authority to submit the registration and permit the required player photograph to be passed to The FA for registration.

The form separately records the parent or guardian’s permission for the young player to be photographed or filmed during football activities, including through match-recording systems such as Veo. This match permission is separate from the private FA registration photograph and does not by itself permit promotional publication on the club website or social media.

Under-18 registrations are marked for safeguarding review and are visible only to appropriately authorised club administrators. Registration confirmation is sent to both the player and their parent or guardian. Under-18 players are not automatically added to the club newsletter list.

7. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to:

• request a copy of your personal information;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request deletion or restriction;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• withdraw consent where consent is relied upon; and
• unsubscribe from direct marketing at any time.

These rights are not always absolute. We may need to retain limited information where there is a lawful reason to do so.

8. Questions and complaints

Contact admin@polytechnicfc.com if you wish to exercise a right, update your information or ask how it is being used.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. Visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the club’s systems or uses of information change. The latest version and update date will be published on this page.